Dangerously Cold Arctic Blast To Slam Eastern US, Forecasters Warn Of Hypothermia Risk

A potentially life-threatening arctic blast is expected to sweep across the eastern United States in the coming days, driving temperatures below zero and into the single digits, with experts urging people to stay indoors to avoid hypothermia.

Forecasters say the brutal cold will peak later this week, with Chicago, parts of Michigan, and upstate New York bracing for the harshest conditions.

“It is dangerously cold,” AccuWeather Senior meteorologist Tom Kines told The New York Post on Wednesday. “This arctic air – an arctic blast – is coming. It’s going to get worse before it gets better.”

According to Kines, the Northeast will be hit hard over the weekend, with temperatures plunging to nearly 30 degrees below the seasonal average for late January.

As the frigid air mass pushes south from Canada, residents in the most severely affected areas, including parts of Minnesota and Illinois, could face hypothermia after just a couple of hours outdoors without adequate protection, he warned.

“If you have to go outside, respect the cold,” he said, urging people to dress in layers and limit time outdoors whenever possible.

“When it’s that cold, it actually hurts some times when you first breathe in,” he said. “It’s nothing to sneeze at.”

Kines also cautioned that widespread power outages are possible, as residents crank up their heating systems and place added strain on the electrical grid.

In New York City, temperatures are expected to drop into the low teens over the weekend, with a snowstorm forecast to arrive Sunday, Kines said.

The storm is expected to bring several inches of snow, “at least enough to shovel and plow,” across the city, he added.

Before the deep freeze sets in, temperatures in the Big Apple will be somewhat milder on Thursday, with a high of 45 degrees and a low of 29.

Friday is expected to be partly sunny with a high of 36 and a low of 12 degrees, followed by a frigid Saturday with a high of just 19 and a low of 12.

On Sunday, forecasters predict a high of 20 degrees and a low of 15 as snow continues to fall across the city.

Relief from the bitter cold is not expected until sometime after next week, Kines said.